


Rules of Engagement

by phantisma



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-05-12
Updated: 2006-05-12
Packaged: 2017-11-13 03:40:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/499065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantisma/pseuds/phantisma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Buffy discovers Dawn and Xander are more than friends, and it freaks her out, just a little.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rules of Engagement

“You are **so** grounded!”

“You can’t ground me, I’m 18.”

“Not until tomorrow you aren’t.”

“It **is** tomorrow!” Dawn stomped her foot and pointed the clock tower nearby.

Buffy turned and looked, some of the fury dropping into her stomach. It couldn’t be tomorrow. Not yet. “I don’t care.”

“Not to get in the middle of all this sisterly affection—“

“Don’t you even start with me, Xander. I’d ground you too.”

Xander chuckled and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her a little. “Hey, Buffy, its me. What could happen?”

Buffy pouted at him, then reached for Dawn’s hand. “With your track record? You’re asking me this question after Praying Mantis Lady and Inca Mummy Girl? Not to mention Anya.”

His smile lost some of its luster and he let go of her, reaching for Dawn’s other hand. “Do we always have to go there?”

Buffy’s shoulders slumped, though she wasn’t ready to admit defeat just yet. “Pretty much, yes.”

Xander sighed and Dawn smiled at him. “It’s okay. It’s not like I didn’t know about them before. And hey, I’m not so hot at the whole guy thing either…I mean there was Vampire Jock guy, and Motorcycle with no Helmet Guy and…maybe I should just shut up now.”

Buffy cut off her glare of death and moved them toward the graveyard gate. “You’re my little sister and I’m meant to protect you.”

“Protect, not smother.” Dawn quipped, pulling Buffy to a stop. “So is it that I’m out this late at night in a graveyard where we suspect vampire activity, that I’ve agreed to take the post in London with Giles…or the fact that you found me kissing Xander that is cause for this fictional grounding?”

Buffy stared at her sister, mouth gaping open, then to Xander who only shrugged and shook his head. “I-what position? London? Uh.” Buffy hugged herself. She didn’t want it to be like this. She wanted more time with Dawn, she wanted Dawn to have a normal life. She wanted—“Duck!” She vaulted between them, pulling a stake from the back of her jeans as the vampire lunged. They rolled together across the grass, trading blows several times before Buffy pounded the stake home and the vampire exploded in an array of dust.

“Happy now?” Dawn asked as Buffy climbed to her feet, wiping vampire dust from her clothes.

“About slaying, yes. About London, no.”

“It’s only short term. Giles has a project he wants me to work on with him.”

“And Xander?” They both turned to look at him and he held up his hands in a defensive position.

“I’m keeping him.” Dawn said with a grin. “He’s a good kisser.”

Buffy rolled her eyes and took her sister’s arm. “And what about the whole being out here without protection thing?”

“Oh, we have—oh, you meant—I’ll stop talking now.”

“Eww, Xander!” Buffy slapped at him. “Now I have to wash out my ears…and my eyes…and my brain! This is my sister!”

“So, not grounded?” Dawn asked as they exited the graveyard and turned toward what was serving as home for the time being.

“I suppose not.” Buffy moped.

Dawn smiled and pulled Xander closer so that she could kiss him. “Oh, no, come on!” Buffy pulled away, holding her hands up to block the image. “Hey!”

Dawn pulled back and grinned. “Guess this wouldn’t be a good time to bring up the ring he gave me just before you busted in and grounded me?”

“Ring? What ring?”

Dawn held up her hand, the small diamond reflecting back the streetlight. “Engaged.”

Buffy sat down on the curb and put her head in her hands. This couldn’t be happening. This was her little—sister….and her she was acting like Dawn was her daughter. She stood abruptly and marched over to Xander. “You want to marry my sister?”

He swallowed hard and nodded. “I have rules.”

“Rules?”

“Rules I tell you. No kissing on her in front of me…ever! No babies…ew…no talking about—“ She shook her whole body and started walking away, still rattling off rules. Xander slipped an arm around Dawn and they followed, slowly. He grinned at her. “That went well.”


End file.
